Clash Detection Dashboard

Project Overview

Coordination meetings are the heartbeat of successful BIM projects, yet teams often struggle with fragmented clash reports from Navisworks, making it difficult to prioritize issues and track resolution progress across multiple disciplines and project phases.

🚨 The Challenge

Clash reports scattered across multiple Navisworks files and Excel spreadsheets
No centralized view of clash status and resolution progress
Difficulty prioritizing critical vs. minor clashes during meetings
Manual tracking of assigned responsibilities and due dates
Limited historical data for analyzing clash trends

The Solution

I developed an interactive dashboard that aggregates clash detection data from Navisworks exports, categorizes issues by severity and discipline, and provides real-time analytics to make coordination meetings more efficient and actionable.

✅ Key Features

Real-time clash statistics with visual breakdowns by discipline
Priority-based filtering (Critical, Major, Minor)
Status tracking (Open, In Progress, Resolved)
Interactive charts showing trends over time
Automated report generation for stakeholders

🎨 Features Breakdown

📊

Visual Analytics

Interactive charts and graphs showing clash distribution and trends

🎯

Priority Filtering

Smart categorization by severity to focus on critical issues first

🔍

Discipline View

Filter clashes by architectural, structural, or MEP disciplines

📈

Progress Tracking

Monitor resolution status and identify bottlenecks

📋

Automated Reports

Generate professional reports for meetings with one click

🕐

Historical Data

Track clash trends across project phases

🛠️ Technical Implementation

Built with modern web technologies to ensure responsiveness and accessibility across devices, from desktop monitors in the office to tablets on construction sites.

⚛️ React

📊 D3.js

📈 Recharts

🎨 Tailwind CSS

📄 CSV Parser

Results & Impact

The dashboard transformed coordination meetings from lengthy status reviews into focused, action-oriented sessions that drove measurable improvements in clash resolution.

🎯 Measurable Outcomes

Coordination meeting duration reduced from 2 hours to 60 minutes
Clash resolution rate improved from 45% to 70% per cycle
Tracked over 1000 clashes across 5 project phases
Reduced follow-up emails by 60% through clear status visibility
Enabled data-driven decision making on resource allocation

📈 Project Timeline

Week 1: Requirements & Design

Interviewed coordination team, analyzed Navisworks reports, and wireframed dashboard layout

Week 2-3: Core Development

Built data ingestion pipeline and created interactive visualizations

Week 4: Filtering & Analytics

Implemented priority filtering, discipline views, and trend analysis

Week 5: Testing & Polish

User testing with coordination team, refined UX based on feedback

Week 6: Deployment & Training

Deployed to project team and conducted training sessions

💬 User Feedback

"This dashboard has significantly improved our coordination meetings. We can now see exactly where we stand at a glance and focus our time on solving problems rather than reading through reports. The historical trends help us identify issues early."

— Project Coordinator, Major Infrastructure Project

Technical Deep Dive

🏗️ Architecture Overview

The dashboard follows a component-based architecture with React, enabling modular development and easy maintenance as project requirements evolve.

📥

Data Import

Parses Navisworks CSV exports and normalizes clash data

⚙️

Processing Engine

Categorizes clashes by severity and calculates key metrics

📊

Visualization Layer

Renders interactive charts using D3.js and Recharts

🎛️

Filter System

Real-time filtering by discipline, status, and priority

🔑 Key Technical Challenges

Challenge 1: Data Standardization

Problem: Navisworks exports vary by project and user configuration.
Solution: Built flexible CSV parser with column mapping and validation to handle different report formats.

Challenge 2: Performance with Large Datasets

Problem: Dashboard slowed when visualizing 1000+ clashes.
Solution: Implemented virtualization and pagination, plus data aggregation for summary views.

Challenge 3: Mobile Responsiveness

Problem: Complex charts were difficult to read on tablets.
Solution: Created adaptive layouts that prioritize key metrics on smaller screens with expandable detail views.

📚 Lessons Learned

1. Start with user needs: The most valuable features came from observing actual coordination meetings.
2. Simplicity wins: Initial designs were too complex; removing features improved usability.
3. Test on real devices: Desktop testing missed issues that appeared on tablets used on-site.
4. Visual hierarchy matters: Using color coding for priority made critical issues immediately visible.

🚀 Future Enhancements

Planned improvements based on team feedback:

🔗

Navisworks Integration

Direct import from Navisworks without CSV export step

👥

Assignment System

Assign clashes to team members with email notifications

📱

Mobile App

Native iOS/Android app for on-site clash resolution

🤖

AI Predictions

Predict clash resolution time based on historical data